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Women and children managed to flee a Queensland property where a police officer was shot and a man was found dead after he allegedly opened fire at 11 officers and a dog.
Police had been attending a domestic violence disturbance when the first-year officer, who was on his last shift before a transfer, was almost killed, sparking an hours-long siege.
Senior police have praised the officer’s colleagues after he was transferred to hospital in a potentially life-threatening condition.
Police attended the semi-rural property in Yengarie, about three hours north of Brisbane on the Fraser Coast, about 5.45pm on Friday. They were shot at multiple times in the driveway before they could reach the house.
On Saturday morning, District Officer Acting Superintendent Brad Inskip would not detail the reason for the callout or whether they spoke with the 45-year-old before he opened fire.
The Gundiah man, who was known to police, did not hold a weapons licence.
“One of those rounds has hit a constable in the leg, causing significant injuries. The other officers on the scene have dragged that officer to a place of safety,” Inskip told reporters at a morning media conference in Maryborough.
“They’ve applied first aid, including putting a tourniquet around his leg. Those officers have then dragged him a further approximately 100 metres away from that scene to a place of safety.”
Inskip said the 36-year-old officer was treated by paramedics before being taken to the Hervey Bay Hospital. From there, he was flown in a stable condition to Brisbane, where he remained on Saturday.
Officers who remained on the scene established a public safety cordon and requested specialist police help. Negotiators, a dog squad, and the Special Emergency Response Team was flown up from Brisbane and arrived about 11pm.
The 45-year-old was then found in a shed to which he had retreated after firing the “volley of shots”. Inskip said while it appeared he had died from a gunshot wound, it was too early to tell whether it had been from police or self-inflicted.
“There were two adult females at the address at the time and two children, and they were extracted during the night – they self-extracted. There’s no indication they were actually being held hostage,” Inskip said.
The Public Safety Preservation Act declaration was revoked at 11.36pm on Friday, with a crime scene declared at the property as the investigation continues.
The initial police response involved 10 officers, along with a dog-handler and a dog – a level of personnel Inskip said was deemed suitable after a threat assessment was conducted.
Appearing alongside Inskip, Inspector Paul Algie said a further 10 to 15 police ultimately attended the site after the constable was shot and backup was called for.
“If it wasn’t for the very rapid response from his partner on the scene and other officers, this could have been even more tragic than it turned out to be,” Algie said.
He said it had been the officer’s final shift in Maryborough before being transferred out west.
“He will now have a long recuperation, but I am so incredibly thankful that he has survived,” he said.
The matter will be investigated by the Ethical Standards Command, with oversight from the Crime and Corruption Commission. A report will be prepared for the state coroner.
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Matt Dennien is a reporter at Brisbane Times covering state politics, parliament and the public sector. He has previously worked for newspapers in Tasmania and Brisbane community radio station 4ZZZ. Contact him securely on Signal @mattdennien.15Connect via email.From our partners
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